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Magisterium
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On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery.
Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough pr ...more
Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough pr ...more
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Disclosure Time: I got this pretty, pretty book on a goodreads giveaway. Now excuse us as me and everybody involved in my getting this book are going on an extended vacation trip to Ibiza...
I wanted to love this book, I really did. I wanted to love it because the cover is beautiful (and something like Percy Jackson on shrooms) and I wanted to love it because I got it for free together with a cute letter from the people at Scholastic - and yes, yes, I'm aware they do this to everybody but it make ...more
I wanted to love this book, I really did. I wanted to love it because the cover is beautiful (and something like Percy Jackson on shrooms) and I wanted to love it because I got it for free together with a cute letter from the people at Scholastic - and yes, yes, I'm aware they do this to everybody but it make ...more
Rating: 2/5
I really do hope I’m not back in a slump again (of finding many books “not for me”). There are days I tell myself, maybe I shouldn’t expect so much, but then realize what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with wanting something good? Nothing. Magisterium had a really promising premise. Very. I mean I haven’t read a book about dual realities in a long time and the only one that sticks out to me is the Piers Anthony one, Apprentice Adept series, which I vaguely remember. The book had that ...more
I really do hope I’m not back in a slump again (of finding many books “not for me”). There are days I tell myself, maybe I shouldn’t expect so much, but then realize what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with wanting something good? Nothing. Magisterium had a really promising premise. Very. I mean I haven’t read a book about dual realities in a long time and the only one that sticks out to me is the Piers Anthony one, Apprentice Adept series, which I vaguely remember. The book had that ...more
Initial reaction: My second read from Jeff Hirsch in "Magisterium" definitely lacked a bit of finesse and progression. I had a hard time caring about the characters and the plot often had rough transitions that made it a more difficult read than it had to be. It's a shame because there were many good ideas here, just not executed anywhere near what they could've been. It was a significant disappointment for me.
Full review:
"Magisterium" had the potential to be an awesome book, but for the most pa ...more
Full review:
"Magisterium" had the potential to be an awesome book, but for the most pa ...more
Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.
Magisterium was one strange book. Seriously, this is probably the second oddest book I've read so far this year, second only to Dust Girl. Though Magisterium definitely does have dystopian elements to its setting, it's really not about that. Instead, this is a novel for fantasy fans all the way. Occasionally, there are even moments where it felt like a fairy tale. Be prepared for all sorts of craziness when you set out on this journey
When the novel ope ...more
Magisterium was one strange book. Seriously, this is probably the second oddest book I've read so far this year, second only to Dust Girl. Though Magisterium definitely does have dystopian elements to its setting, it's really not about that. Instead, this is a novel for fantasy fans all the way. Occasionally, there are even moments where it felt like a fairy tale. Be prepared for all sorts of craziness when you set out on this journey
When the novel ope ...more
This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes
Cover Impressions: The cover is kind of cool and I like the image of the cloak made up of birds, however, it didn't really entice me. There is something about the face that doesn't quite match up with the creepy feel that I believe they were going for.
The Gist: The world has undergone a Rift. One side is safe, the other is a wasteland. At least that is what everyone is told.
Review: To be honest. This book annoyed and angered me. This ...more
Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers
Glenn Morgan is a brilliant young woman, who desires nothing more than graduating early, and getting a ticket on a deep space exploration mission to a habitable planet far, far away. Ever since her mother chose to skip out on her daughter and husband, Glenn's life has been a long, painful nightmare. Her father, once a brilliant, celebrated inventor has become a shade of his former self, obsessed with an all-consuming "project" that seems more the product ...more
Glenn Morgan is a brilliant young woman, who desires nothing more than graduating early, and getting a ticket on a deep space exploration mission to a habitable planet far, far away. Ever since her mother chose to skip out on her daughter and husband, Glenn's life has been a long, painful nightmare. Her father, once a brilliant, celebrated inventor has become a shade of his former self, obsessed with an all-consuming "project" that seems more the product ...more
Some aspects of this book would be given a four star review from me, and some aspects a three -- but by the end I decided to round down a little bit. I guess if I were allowed decimals it would probably get a 3.5.
The good:
1. The setting and the way the author handles magic. I really liked the overpowering sense of wildness and freedom the magic in this book has. I LOVED that it was a kind of terrifying, all-encompassing sort of intense-ness that overtook the main character and superseded everyt ...more
The good:
1. The setting and the way the author handles magic. I really liked the overpowering sense of wildness and freedom the magic in this book has. I LOVED that it was a kind of terrifying, all-encompassing sort of intense-ness that overtook the main character and superseded everyt ...more
This book was sooooooooo boring. I really don’t have much to say about it, so this review should be short. Admittedly, the book started off well. I initially quite liked heroine Glenn, until I got to know her a little. I liked her ambition and her dreams of a better future. But I quickly realized that her “dreams” were nothing more than an excuse not to deal with her present. That annoyed me. Yes, she has a father who has been distant since her mother’s disappearance but she seemed to make no ef
...more
Aug 02, 2012
PopcornReads
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
relationships,
secrets,
action-adventure,
war,
loss,
dystopian,
travel,
family,
fantasy,
ya
How could anyone resist a book cover like the one for Magisterium by bestselling author Jeff Hirsch? I certainly couldn’t! When I saw the concept for the story inside that cover, I knew I had to read it. Like dystopian scifi/fantasy? How about mysteries or action/adventures? Technology vs. the magical? Today we’re looking at a story that really encompasses aspects of several different genres. It’s about one post-apocalyptic world divided into two; each terrified of what’s on the other side. Soun
...more
"Nothing is separate, everything is one thing"
Glenn Morgan is a girl who believes in the probable, the rational, the technology that she can see and understand. She lives in a world full of the best technology and the most advanced medical and educational system around. But her world is divided by a great Rift created a 100 years before she was born. On the other side of the Rift is a barren waste land... or so she's been taught. But when her father, a brilliant inventor, creates a device th ...more
Glenn Morgan is a girl who believes in the probable, the rational, the technology that she can see and understand. She lives in a world full of the best technology and the most advanced medical and educational system around. But her world is divided by a great Rift created a 100 years before she was born. On the other side of the Rift is a barren waste land... or so she's been taught. But when her father, a brilliant inventor, creates a device th ...more
When I began reading the book, something stopped me right before the book even started. In the dedication, Hirsch had written “For Gretchen, my greatest Affinity.” I actually shouted, “WHAT?” because for one crazy second I thought he was talking to me because freaking nobody has my name. (Except for a few people. But they are very few.)
Perhaps that set me up with expectations that could never be met.
To be fair, Hirsch set himself up with a FANTASTIC premise. I actually never realized this was ...more
Perhaps that set me up with expectations that could never be met.
To be fair, Hirsch set himself up with a FANTASTIC premise. I actually never realized this was ...more
My main problem with Jeff Hirsch's Magisterium was that it felt like the author was "writing down" to the reader. A key distinction between good and bad YA, I believe, is determined by whether the author is telling an intelligent, character-driven story that appeals to young readers, or telling a dumbed-down, action-driven story that's written for young readers. This falls into the second category. It feels like the author doesn't believe young adults are as smart or interesting as adults.
The p ...more
The p ...more
I almost never give a negative review--I figure, if it's good, praise it; if it's bad, ignore it. But this book was neither and both. It suffered from so many problems that its rather interesting ideas just couldn't save it, in my opinion.
First of all, there was no appreciable world-building. In a book that is a combination of post-apocalyptic and fantasy, you really need that solid grounding of knowledge about:
1. What happened
2. What has resulted
3. Who are the major players
But we go into this s ...more
First of all, there was no appreciable world-building. In a book that is a combination of post-apocalyptic and fantasy, you really need that solid grounding of knowledge about:
1. What happened
2. What has resulted
3. Who are the major players
But we go into this s ...more
So much modern fantasy is derivative that I hesitate to read a new one sometimes. Fortunately for me, Jeff Hirsch's new work is a very nice new twist on the magic vs science trope. I got a big kick out of the way he would delude me into thinking I knew what was coming next and then reveal something quirky and---not quite---what I expected.
This is written in a smooth, almost spare prose style that reads easily and quickly. I zipped through it in a long afternoon. But don't let that deter you, the ...more
This is written in a smooth, almost spare prose style that reads easily and quickly. I zipped through it in a long afternoon. But don't let that deter you, the ...more
The protagonist is Glenn Morgan, a 16 years old living for the last 10 years with just her father in the future. She dreams of going to 813 a distant star where there is a human colony but finds herself in a much different adventure across the "Rift" where there is only wasteland. Or so almost everyone believes. Glenn spends much of the book trying to get home, and this part is a bit too long and slow, but things get very exciting in the last third of book. Glenn is ultimately faced with some di
...more
I've seen lots of people bored by this book, I wasn't. I enjoyed the two worlds at odds, magic and science.
It could have done with a little more world building, but I sped through it and don't have any regrets.
It could have done with a little more world building, but I sped through it and don't have any regrets.
I wish I could give this more than two stars... It just got on my nerves and bored me. The main character is forgettable and unlikeable. It felt like every third word was her name (that could be because I was listening to an audio version. Seriously though Glenn went to her room to whine about how her dad won't let her do what she wants. Glenn doesn't understand why her daddy was sooo mean. She'd show him, Glenn would! And that Kevin guy likes Glenn but Glenn hates him, but Glenn doesn't really
...more
I honestly can't see why this book has such a low rating. It is not the best, nor is it the worst.
The setting is an enticing one, which I found lightly explored — disappointing. What was explained, though, was well done and even made sense (unlike many other books I've read).
The book is a serious page-turner, but like most of the other readers, I was strangely disconnected from the story. Nothing much seems to happen and yet too much seems to happen at the same time. Result: I skimmed through ...more
The setting is an enticing one, which I found lightly explored — disappointing. What was explained, though, was well done and even made sense (unlike many other books I've read).
The book is a serious page-turner, but like most of the other readers, I was strangely disconnected from the story. Nothing much seems to happen and yet too much seems to happen at the same time. Result: I skimmed through ...more
My first DNF of the year. I simply cannot make myself care about the characters but I think more than that, I will not like a main character who sells out her dad. I mean, she cannot have been stupid enough not to realize that her going to another adult and telling that adult her father has had a mental breakdown would be good news? And not believing a word in anything your dad tells you? I mean, children will believe their parents over anyone else. And trust them more than anyone else. Ugh. I d
...more
This book is hard to classify. It has elements of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and dystopian. It has a not very like-able heroine who is dismissive and even abusive to friends and family with an attitude of entitlement that really got up my nose. After saying all that, the world is dynamic and interesting, and the dilemmas posed are fascinating.
Glenn - the heroine grew on me over time.
I'll be willing to give the further books of the series a try.
Glenn - the heroine grew on me over time.
I'll be willing to give the further books of the series a try.
In all honesty, I couldn't finish it. I got a little more than halfway through, but what started as an interesting premise quickly became confusing and nonsensical. It's difficult to like Glenn, the main character and the magic in the book has no logic to it. It's a shame because I really liked Hirsch's The Eleventh Plague.
Magisterium is a wild ride for Glenn. She lives in a futuristic world but just across the border it's as if she is transported back in time with people who have the ability to use magic. With so many twists and turns, you can't go wrong following Glenn on her journey. Jeff is brilliant with his blend of new and old. I can't get enough of his books!
For those reluctant to read Magisterium due to impressions from reading The Eleventh Plague also by Hirsch, don't be. Magisterium is much better in terms of plot and the characters are immensely more likeable!
I literally laughed out loud in spots this book was so bad. 90% descriptions of objects. Almost no plot. This book is essentially about a cat that turns into a big black dude, and a girl who turns into Neo from the Matrix....wow what a mess. One of the all-time worst books I've ever read.
Sep 03, 2012
Justin
marked it as to-read
I find it odd how I found 2 books in a row from Facebook ads.
Magisterium
Everything they have been told was a lie. They were told that the Rift was a place of disaster and a place that was ruined. A place that was covered in toxic ash and radiation. The thing is, those were all a lie. Glenn is a girl that wants to escape her life. She has a father that builds machines and spends all of his time doing that. He never spends time with her and has her pretty much take care of herself. Her dad makes an invention that leads to him being taken away. The only th ...more
Everything they have been told was a lie. They were told that the Rift was a place of disaster and a place that was ruined. A place that was covered in toxic ash and radiation. The thing is, those were all a lie. Glenn is a girl that wants to escape her life. She has a father that builds machines and spends all of his time doing that. He never spends time with her and has her pretty much take care of herself. Her dad makes an invention that leads to him being taken away. The only th ...more
This review will contain some mild spoilers, but I will try to keep it as non-spoilery as possible.
Magisterium starts with a sci-fi feel. It takes place in the future, there's new technology (some of which seems a lot like an iPad a couple generations down the road, but no big deal), and the protagonist, Glenn, is dreaming of leaving her home on Earth with her father to go live on a distant planet. From the synopsis, I wasn't really expecting a sci-fi vibe, and for a minute, I got really excited ...more
Magisterium starts with a sci-fi feel. It takes place in the future, there's new technology (some of which seems a lot like an iPad a couple generations down the road, but no big deal), and the protagonist, Glenn, is dreaming of leaving her home on Earth with her father to go live on a distant planet. From the synopsis, I wasn't really expecting a sci-fi vibe, and for a minute, I got really excited ...more
So this was a strange novel. I had to keep reminding myself that it's technically a YA book. Whether it constitutes Fantasy or Sci-Fi is beyond me. I suppose it's a mixture of both given the subject matter. I can't say it wasn't predictable as all hell, but the overarching idea behind the story was pretty good. I'm only giving it a three because this story really needed more padding than it got. It could have justifiably been a duology.
I find it hardest to grasp how quickly Glenn and Kevin adju ...more
I find it hardest to grasp how quickly Glenn and Kevin adju ...more
Note: There are no spoilers except a few in the Discussion section, which you should skip if you want to avoid them.
Glennora (“Glenn”) Morgan is 16, and lives alone with her brilliant, eccentric scientist father near the border (or “Rift”) between their world, known as The Colloquium, and the post-nuclear-devastated wilderness beyond it. Glenn’s mother left her and her father, suddenly and with no explanation, ten years earlier, on Glenn’s sixth birthday. Her father spends all his time tinkering ...more
Glennora (“Glenn”) Morgan is 16, and lives alone with her brilliant, eccentric scientist father near the border (or “Rift”) between their world, known as The Colloquium, and the post-nuclear-devastated wilderness beyond it. Glenn’s mother left her and her father, suddenly and with no explanation, ten years earlier, on Glenn’s sixth birthday. Her father spends all his time tinkering ...more
For 6th grade or YA. It has a hint of romance and has a dark side. The protaganists' mother is a cruel ruler in a magical kingdom divided from the rest of the (non-magical) world by a forest border. The adventure is great and the characters are developed just enough to remind you of someone you know and yet leave room for imagination.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's the Name o...: SOLVED: A 16 year old teen girl in a futuristic world who studies space exploration wants to find her missing mother. Her best friend who has a secret crush, and her guardian cat who shape-shifts joins her [s] | 8 | 46 | Jul 16, 2019 11:58AM | |
| Book Giveaways: International Four Book Giveaway - Including Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch | 1 | 2 | Dec 24, 2012 08:45AM |
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I live in an extremely Brazilian section of an extremely Greek neighborhood—Astoria, Queens, which is just to the right of Manhattan. (That's as you face Manhattan. If you were, say, lying on your back in the middle of Central Park with your head in a northerly position, we would be to your left) I live there with my wife who has a blog and our two cats who do not. O ...more
I live in an extremely Brazilian section of an extremely Greek neighborhood—Astoria, Queens, which is just to the right of Manhattan. (That's as you face Manhattan. If you were, say, lying on your back in the middle of Central Park with your head in a northerly position, we would be to your left) I live there with my wife who has a blog and our two cats who do not. O ...more
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“She slipped Glenn into her bed and then her face hung over Glenn's for one quiet moment, like a moon.
"Meera doe branagh, Glennora Morgan."
The strange words drifted down from her mother's lips, whispered as light as falling snow.
"What does it mean, Mommy?"
Fingertips grazed Glenn's cheek. "It means I love you. It means I'll always love you." She kissed Glenn softly on the forehead, then backed away. "No matter what."
She stepped into the bright hallway and closed the door.
When Glenn woke the next morning, her mother was gone”
—
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"Meera doe branagh, Glennora Morgan."
The strange words drifted down from her mother's lips, whispered as light as falling snow.
"What does it mean, Mommy?"
Fingertips grazed Glenn's cheek. "It means I love you. It means I'll always love you." She kissed Glenn softly on the forehead, then backed away. "No matter what."
She stepped into the bright hallway and closed the door.
When Glenn woke the next morning, her mother was gone”
“Shadows of what you'll become. Silhouettes.”
—
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